Electrical annunciator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. SMITH.

ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J B. SMITH. ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR.

No. 463,001. Patented Nov. 10,1891.

WiTNEEEE I m/ENTER (No Model'.) 3 Sheets-$heet 3.

J. B. SMITH. ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR.

I NVENTB Juflb flack; 4

Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

WIITN E5555 lull ATTV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BRODIE SMITH, OF MANCHESTER, NEIV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRICAL AN N U NCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,001, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed August 21,1889. Serial No. 321,553. (No modchl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH Bnomn SMITH, of Manchester, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Annunciators, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates, particularly, to the application of electricity to the automatic an- [o nouncement of changesin the position of removable articles, such as bottles, other receptacles, or anything a record of Whose presence or absence is desired.

My invention consists, first, in the novel 1 5 construction, arrangement, and adaptation of the electric circuits and their connect-ions, and then in their combinations with a visual or other indicator and with suitable mechanism for properly and accurately operating the same, as will more readily appear by referring to said drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the annunciator, showing one of the bottles or other device as removed. Fig. 2 represents a 2 5 front elevation of the alarm mechanism, the case and visual indicator being removed. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line m 00 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the letterA designates a base-board, to which the annunciator is attached, and K, Fig. 1, is a shelf having perforations through which are extended a series of vertically-movable plugs, push-but tons, or keysb h 19 that are held up by springs c c c and adapted to be forced down by the weight of bottles 0 P Q or other articles placed 011 the shelf at the points where said plugs or push-buttons are located.

The invention will be best understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 2, which show the position of the various parts of the mechanism when a bottle, as Q, is removed from the shelf K, the others remaining in place. The weight of the bottles 011 the plugs b b b forces them 5 down onto the springs c 0 0 thereby causing the attached non-conductors d d d to press the springs e e e in contact with the points ff f whereby the current coming from the battery I passes by the circuit a to the elec- 5o tro-magnet B,which, being energized, attracts its armature C, that is mounted on a spring a, fastened at the post a. By the attraction of the armature C the pawl G, carried by said armature, is forced against the ratchetwheel F of a rotary conducting-disk N, causing them to revolve. The attraction of the armature O by the magnet B breaks the circuit between the contact-p0int a and armature-arm (i thereby tie-energizing the magnet, releasing the armature, and re-estabhsh- 6 ing the circuit between a and a, so that the armature will be again attracted by the magnet. This vibration of the armaturewill be repeated until the cam-spring L, which has been in contact with the periphery of disk N, drops into the non-conducting notch M of said disk, which carries the spring out of contact with the conducting-disk. The vibratory armature may carry a hammer D to sound a bell E, as shown.

A visual indicator II, Figs. 1 and 3, may be ttached tothe ratehet wheel F or disk N 111 any convenient manner and revolves therewith until the word, sign, or other visual 1ndication of the absence of said bottle has passed behind the coverJ that normally conceals said indicator. From the spring L, when in contact with the rotary conductingdisk N, the current passes by a prolongation of the circuit a to the spring e, and thence, if all'the bottles are in place, to the contactpointf, spring 0, contact-point f, spring e contact-point f and by a further prolongation of the circuit a to the battery.

It will be evident now that if the bottle Q be removed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, connection will be interrupted at f and established between the contact-points g 7L2, thus allowing the current to pass to the magnet by the circuit a to the disk N, as be- 0 fore, and then by springR through the circuit t' to the point 9 thereby completing this circuit and actuating the armature C to display the visual indicator II or sound the bell E, or both, as the case may be. If the bottles 5 O or P be removed, the corresponding circuit will be accordingly established through the contact-points g h or g 7b to energize the magnet and bring the visual indicator into view, as described.

When all the bottles or other articles are in place and the closing device or devices I) Z2 Z1 ZOO are thereby forced down, a circuit will be established through the springs e e e and their contactpoints fff whereby the magnet 13 will be energized to vibrate the armature O and cause its pawl G to actuate the ratchet F and disk N until the visual indicator II is concealed. By the removal of a bottle or other article the plug or closing device isper mitted to rise under the pressure exerted by the springs c e or c c or c 6 as the case may be, the circuit is broken at f or f orj" and re-established at g or g or 9 and the magnet is again energized to actuate its armature and give an alarm or cause the visual indicator to be displayed, thereby calling attention to the removal of the bottle or other article. It is obvious that the removal of the bottle may be announced by means of a bell or a visual-indicator, or both, as preferred.

The annunciator may be arranged for use in drug-stores or other places where it is desired that a visual or audible signal shall be given on the removal of any article from its accustomed or proper location.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electrical annunciator, the combination of two electric circuits, a movable plug or push-button adapted and arranged to close either circuit, an electro-magnet forming in turn a part of each circuit, a vibratory armature, a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism actuated by said armature, and a visual indicator carried by the ratchet, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two electric circuits, a series of movable plugs or push-buttons, each adapted and arranged to close either circuit, an electro-inagnet forming in turn a part of each circuit, a rotary conducting-disk, springs adapted to form part of the circuit when in contact with said disk, a vibratory armature, a pawland-ratchet mechanism actuated by said armature, and an alarm or indicator, substantially as described.

3. The combination of two electric circuits to '1', a plug or push-button l), the springs c c, non-conductor Z,contact-pointsfg h, the battery I, the electro-magnet B, having a vibratory armature C, the pawl G,ratchetwheel 1 conducting-disk N, having notch M, and the springs L R, substantially as described.

l. The combination of two electric circuits, a movable plug or push-button adapted and arranged to close either circuit, a battery, an electro-magnet having a vibratory armature, a rotary conductingdisk provided with a notch, springs forming part of the circuit when in contact-with said disk, a ratchetwheel', a pawl carried by the armature, and an alarm or indicator. actuated by the vibrations of the armature, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the rotary disk N, provided with notch M, the springs L R, the ratchet F, the electro-magnet- B, the vibratory armature C, the pawl G, carried by said armature, the contacts a a, two electric circuits, anda plug or push button adapted and arranged to close either circuit and energize the electro-magnet, substantiallyas described.

-.I. BRODIE SMITH.

Vitnesses:

NATHANIEL U. WALKER, CHARLES H. HANSON. 

